The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nyssa tree, botanically known as Nyssa sylvatica, commercially referred to as Upland Tupelo or Black Gum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Cherry Pie’.
The new Nyssa tree is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillsboro County, Ga. and Franklin County, Tenn. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Nyssa trees appropriate for urban landscapes that have an upright pyramidal tree form, vigorous growth habit and uniformly consistent bright red autumn leaf color.
The new Nyssa tree originated from an open-pollination of an unnamed selection of Nyssa sylvatica, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Nyssa sylvatica as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Nyssa tree was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Pulaski County, Ga. in October, 2006.
Asexual reproduction of the new Nyssa tree by chip budding in a controlled environment in Franklin County, Tenn. has shown that the unique features of this new Nyssa tree are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.